Bill Abernethy

ABOUT BILL

Bill is vice president of global market development at Prosensa Therapeutics. He received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Auburn in 1981.

Earning a science degree from Auburn provided him with a strong foundation to take his career in many directions. He coupled that foundation with the willingness to take career risks, move in unforeseen directions and continue his learning, which has led to an interesting career and life.

After graduating, Bill began working in sales for the Elanco agricultural division of Eli Lilly, selling soybean and cotton agrichemicals to distributors and dealers in north Alabama. Two years later, he transitioned to the pharmaceutical side of the business, was relocated to Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis, and was re-trained as a clinical research associate, designing and managing clinical trials in the area of diabetes.

In total Bill has four years of sales experience, eight years of clinical research experience and now more than 21 years of pharma and biotech marketing strategy experience. Bill’s career took an interesting turn when he began working for the biotech company Genzyme, the pioneer in developing treatments for rare genetic diseases, in 2000. His work in rare genetic disease has been the most stimulating and rewarding work of his career and has allowed him to visit with patients, parents and physicians around the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

Current position: Vice President of Global Market Development at Prosensa Therapeutics

aUBURN mEMORIES

Even though he lives in Boston, Bill usually makes it back to Auburn for three football games or so a season. His children have attended with him all these years and are huge fans. As they would drive in from I-85 on College St., Bill always got a kick out of showing them the Rhizotron and telling them about my work/study experience counting roots underground. “They’ve never understood why I was spending hours counting fescue roots underground!”